1. Gates of the Arctic National Park
Free admission may have little impact on the fiscal revenue of attractions like the Pinnacles National Monument in California, where the fee is only $5 per vehicle. However, this policy might influence the decisions of American families planning a trip to the Grand Canyon National Park, where the entrance fee is $25 per vehicle. Among the 58 sites designated as national parks (excluding monuments, historic sites, and other properties within the U.S. National Park System), four are located in remote areas of Alaska that are inaccessible by road, such as Gates of the Arctic National Park. This park is open to the public for free year-round, yet it recorded only 11,397 visitors in 2008, ranking it fifth on that year's list of the least-visited national parks in the United States.
2. Katmai National Park
Tens of millions of visitors spend their time in U.S. national parks and monuments year after year, but few travel to remote Alaska. Katmai was originally established as a national monument in 1918 to preserve 40 square miles of ash flow resulting from the Novarupta volcanic eruption. It was upgraded to a national park in 1980 and ranked fourth on the 2008 list of the least-visited national parks in the United States, with only 7,970 visitors that year. Katmai National Park also remains free to enter at all times.
3. Lake Clark National Park
Alaska's Lake Clark National Park features beautiful waterscapes and spectacular volcanic scenery. It recorded 6,802 visitors in 2008, ranking third on that year's list of the least-visited national parks in the United States. Due to its remote location and difficult access, many national parks in Alaska are free year-round. Some of the more popular parks in the state utilize provisions of the controversial Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which took effect in December 2004, to charge visitors fees. However, U.S. national parks that charge admission must have a certain level of development and meet other criteria. Free admission is intended to improve services at certain sites rather than to increase revenue. Some parks have been charging fees since 1908.
4. National Park of American Samoa
The National Park of American Samoa recorded 3,683 visitors in 2008, ranking second on that year's list of the least-visited national parks in the United States. Here, experiencing the rainforest, volcanic peaks, and coral reefs is free year-round—provided, of course, that you can afford the travel costs to cross the Pacific Ocean. The National Park of American Samoa is closer to Australia than it is to the United States. For certain reasons, the Grand Canyon National Park charges a $25 entrance fee while other places are free: due to its immense popularity (over 4 million visitors annually), appropriations are required for ranger salaries, infrastructure, and equipment maintenance. Small historic sites or parks in remote areas may have only a few staff members, resulting in very low maintenance costs.
5. Kobuk Valley National Park
Located in northern Alaska, Kobuk Valley National Park is the most remote and least-visited national park in the United States. Its sand dunes are located 40 miles (approximately 64 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle. Large herds of caribou migrate here annually, and while temperatures in the park can reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), visitors are rare. Although it is free year-round, it recorded only 1,565 visitors in 2008. For nearly 9,000 years, indigenous residents have used Kobuk Valley National Park as a hunting ground. Every July, the Grand Canyon National Park receives more visitors in two hours than Kobuk Valley National Park receives in an entire year.